Deuteronomy 29:19 kjv
And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
Deuteronomy 29:19 nkjv
and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'? as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.
Deuteronomy 29:19 niv
When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way," they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
Deuteronomy 29:19 esv
one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.
Deuteronomy 29:19 nlt
"Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, 'I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.' This would lead to utter ruin!
Deuteronomy 29 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 6:14 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. | False Peace & Deception |
| Ezek 13:10 | ...because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace... | False Security |
| 1 Thes 5:3 | For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them... | Sudden Judgment on False Peace |
| Jer 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Deceitfulness of Heart |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Self-Deception in Hearing |
| Prov 28:13 | Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. | Concealed Sin |
| Psa 90:8 | You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. | God Sees Secret Sins |
| Heb 4:13 | And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | God's Omniscience |
| Jer 7:24 | But they did not listen or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil hearts... | Stubbornness of Heart |
| Psa 81:12 | So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. | God Giving Over to Hardened Heart |
| Rom 1:24 | Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity... | God Giving Over to Lusts |
| Eph 4:18 | They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. | Hardness of Heart Leading to Darkness |
| Isa 30:1 | “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make a league, but not of my Spirit, to add sin to sin! | Adding Sin to Sin |
| Isa 5:18 | Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as with cart ropes... | Accumulating Iniquity |
| Mic 2:1 | Woe to those who devise mischief and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. | Deliberate Wickedness |
| Zech 5:8 | ...“This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. | Representing Accumulation of Sin |
| Rom 2:5 | But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. | Storing Up Wrath Through Impenitence |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Reaping What is Sown |
| Num 15:30 | But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is a native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. | High-Handed Sin |
| Deut 28:15 | But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes...all these curses shall come upon you... | Consequences of Disobedience |
Deuteronomy 29 verses
Deuteronomy 29 19 Meaning
Deuteronomy 29:19 addresses the profound danger of self-deception and spiritual rebellion within the covenant community. It warns against an individual who, despite hearing the solemn warnings and curses associated with covenant disobedience, chooses to reassure themselves inwardly, believing they will escape divine judgment even while actively pursuing their own sinful desires and hardened ways. The verse highlights the illusion of false peace in defiance of God, illustrating a progressive, insatiable embrace of wickedness.
Deuteronomy 29 19 Context
Deuteronomy 29 is part of Moses' farewell address to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter functions as a renewal of the Mosaic Covenant, establishing its enduring validity for all future generations. Following the blessings and curses of Chapter 28, Chapter 29 reiterates the solemn obligations of the covenant and warns against individual and collective apostasy. Verse 19 specifically addresses the danger of spiritual hypocrisy within the community—the internal rebellion of one who outwardly conforms but secretly despises God's law, convincing themselves that no ill consequences will follow their deliberate sin. This specific warning highlights that the covenant is not merely about external conformity but requires an internal commitment of the heart.
Deuteronomy 29 19 Word analysis
- And it shall come to pass, when he heareth (שָׁמַע - shama'): More than mere auditory perception; shama' implies hearing with understanding, receiving, and implicitly, obeying. The warning applies to one who has fully grasped the covenant terms, particularly the curses for disobedience, making their subsequent self-deception even more grievous.
- the words of this curse: Refers specifically to the detailed covenant curses articulated in Deut 28 and 29. These curses were solemn pronouncements of divine judgment for disobedience to the covenant.
- that he bless himself in his heart: This denotes a deep-seated self-deception and delusion. The person inwardly (in their "heart" – Hebrew lev or levav, encompassing mind, will, emotions) pronounces a blessing or a positive outcome upon themselves, not seeking God's favor but conjuring a false sense of security. It signifies an arrogant assumption of immunity from divine consequence.
- saying, I shall have peace (שָׁלוֹם - shalom): Shalom typically refers to holistic well-being, wholeness, prosperity, and peace. Here, it is twisted into a declaration of false security. The individual believes they can continue in sin without suffering the stipulated divine judgment, thus mocking God's covenant. This is a false peace, based on human delusion rather than God's truth.
- though I walk in the imagination (שְׁרִירוּת - sherirut) of mine heart: walk: Refers to one's conduct, lifestyle, and behavior. It indicates a deliberate and ongoing pattern. imagination (sherirut) of mine heart: This key Hebrew term signifies the stubbornness, hardness, obstinacy, and perversity of the heart. It points to a self-willed, determined pursuit of one's own desires and sinful inclinations, often in defiance of revealed truth. It's not just a passing thought but a deeply rooted inclination that governs one's actions, akin to a spiritual blindness and arrogance.
- to add drunkenness (הָרָוָה - ha-ravah) to thirst (הַצְּמֵאָה - ha-tsammah): This is an idiomatic expression. Drunkenness (ravah): Lit. "the saturated," "the watered," or "the drunk." Can represent being full of sin, already given over to evil. Thirst (tsammah): Lit. "the thirsty." Can represent a craving for more, an unfulfilled desire for sin, or collecting other sinful people. add (לְמַעַן סְפוֹת - lema'an sephot): From sapah, to add, sweep away, or gather. The idiom suggests an insatiable appetite for sin, accumulating more and more evil, moving from one form of sin to another, or from indulgence to ever greater indulgence. It illustrates a comprehensive and escalating commitment to depravity, not just tolerating sin but actively increasing it, encompassing both existing sinful habits and a desire for new ones. It means one continues to give in to every desire and sinful inclination, compounding their transgressions without limit. It can also imply bringing ruin upon themselves, by continuously satisfying ungodly desires.
Deuteronomy 29 19 Bonus section
This verse offers a profound insight into the psychology of hardened sin and apostasy. The internal monologue "I shall have peace, though I walk..." reveals not just denial but an active rebellion against truth. It signifies a person's determination to define reality according to their own corrupt desires, rather than submitting to God's sovereign definition of justice and peace. The danger is not merely passive disobedience, but an aggressive pursuit of personal indulgence, escalating one's sin until there's no spiritual space left for repentance or God's grace to penetrate. This attitude essentially "reproaches the Lord" (similar to Num 15:30), treating His warnings as meaningless and His authority as negligible, a profoundly perilous state.
Deuteronomy 29 19 Commentary
Deuteronomy 29:19 lays bare the human propensity for self-deception in the face of divine law. It portrays a person who, having heard God's clear covenant curses against disobedience, chooses to silence their conscience and indulge in a dangerous delusion: believing they can persist in willful sin while magically remaining immune to God's judgment. This "peace" is a mirage, conjured by a heart bent on its own perverse, stubborn desires rather than God's righteous commands. The chilling phrase "to add drunkenness to thirst" encapsulates a life trajectory of deepening spiritual decay, where sin is not merely tolerated but aggressively pursued and compounded. This verse underscores that God sees the heart, exposing the hypocrisy of those who appear part of the covenant community but inwardly defy its very essence, demonstrating that spiritual prosperity is not found in outward observance but in heartfelt obedience.